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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Hosting Yale in its Ivy League opener inside Harvard Stadium Bubble, Harvard women's lacrosse (2-1, 1-0 Ivy) jumped out to a 7-2 lead and then held off the Bulldogs for a 14-13 victory Saturday.

Marisa Romeo led the Harvard offense with five goals and seven points. Julia Glynn also had a standout offensive day with two goals and three assists. The Harvard defense was stout all afternoon, forcing 18 Yale turnovers. Marina Burke and Maeve McMahon each had three forced turnovers and three ground balls. Megan Hennessey and Nicole Biaocco also had three ground balls.

The Crimson found the back of the net on each of its first seven shots to jump out to a 7-2 lead through the first 13:10. Romeo scored three times in that span, with Glynn, Keeley MacAfee, Katie Muldoon and Burke also tallying goals. Burke's counted as the second free position strike of the opening minutes for the Crimson.

Yale battled back though, scoring the game's next six goals to go up, 8-7. Hope Hanley scored three of those goals for the Bulldogs, before MacAfee scored with 3:47 left in the opening half to tie the game back up. Each team scored once more before the break, including Romeo with 1:58 left to send the game to the intermission even at 9-9.

The scoring calmed in the second half and neither team was able to pull away by more than two goals. Glynn gave Harvard the first lead 49 seconds in, but Yale scored the next two to go up 11-10 with 19:32 remaining. MacAfee responded with her own man-up goal less than two minutes later to tie the score and McMahon gave Harvard the lead for good off a Romeo feed with 16:53 left. McMahon's goal was a behind-the-head effort, fielding the pass out in front of the Yale goal.

Eliza Guild scored moments later to make it 13-11 and then Romeo scored with 5:47 left to give Harvard a two-goal lead. Hanley scored with 4:56 left to get Yale within one, 14-13, but the Harvard defense held strong and kept the Bulldogs from netting the equalizer.

Harvard remains at home next weekend, hosting Siena at 3 p.m. in a game slate to be played at Jordan Field.